Time Out Of Mind
by mithras90
Summary: John is badly injured while on a walking holiday in Wales. Discovered by two Galactic Federation Officers it soon becomes apparent that John's survival and even his sanity will depend on all of the Tomorrow People.


**This is my first Tomorrow People story and I don't know if I'll continue, simply because the first one is so awful. This one at least I feel confident in putting on the net. Not sure where I'm going with it, will let you know if I have any more ideas. Would appreciate criticism, but would ask that people be constructive rather than simply flame. Many thanks in advance**

Time Out Of Mind

His constant companion was pain. He retained scattered memories of those days, of being dragged from the cell by green-skinned, lizard-like creatures. Of being strapped to some sort of device and questions being fired at him to which he had no answer and a mind-numbing pain that drove any coherent speech from his mind or his lips. Then more questions to which he couldn't find the answers. Eventually, half-conscious, he was loaded into some sort of vehicle. He remembered shivering in the cold night air. The jeep jolting beneath him and then suddenly being pushed.

He fell, landing heavily on the hard, stony ground. The blow knocked the wind out of him and he felt the stones cutting his shoulder and side. He remembered pulling himself up to a sitting position to sit against one of the rocks, his head was pounding and half his body felt numb. Panting he stared up into star-studded blackness and felt very alone.

Things became a little disjointed after that, he thought later that he must have passed out because when he next opened his eyes it was to see shadowy figures approaching him. He wondered if he was dying, and to his surprise found that he didn't really care. One of them seemed to come closer and he thought that they might have spoken but again he wasn't sure.

He was moving again, there seemed to be something over his shoulders and the two figures were either side of him, one appeared to be talking to him although he still couldn't understand. Things became even more confused. He was sitting inside somewhere, he could even feel people touching his cuts and bruises and someone seemed to be explaining what they were doing although it was as if he was divorced from his body and none of it impinged on him.

Eventually the movement seemed to stop and he appeared to be alone. Time seemed to slip sideways and he vaguely wondered what was happening to him, but again it was as if it was happening to someone else; someone who wasn't really there. He thought at some point that one of them might have taken his hand, but at this point it didn't seem to matter and after a while, the strain of trying to remain conscious was too much and he gently slid into darkness.

It was the headache that woke him, a pounding pain in his head that drew him unwillingly back to consciousness. He forced open his eyelids but had to close them almost immediately. He tried to move but it was as if he was held in amber.

Cool fingers were underneath his neck and he forced open his eyes open to stare up into a pair of green ones, he tried to smile but the effort was too much and he was forced to close them again.

_You're safe._ He heard the words drop into his mind, _don't try to reply. You won't be able to use your telepathy yet._

Panicking, John tried to 'send' a response, but a burst of pain bloomed behind his closed lids and drew a soft groan from between his lips. He felt a thumb gently stroke his cheek and the pain lessened, _I said not to try 'sending' but I think you've gathered that. I'll get rid of that pain and let you sleep._

Scattered thoughts ran through his brain and although he didn't attempt 'sending' again he got the feeling that the person above him was sensing all of this, the person 'spoke' to him again, _It's all right, John. I'll contact your friends and let them know you're all right. But you need sleep now. _And with the voice came so many images of rest and tranquillity that John was powerless to resist them and he sank into darkness.

He regained consciousness slowly, he felt warm and comfortable. He was still pinioned but the overwhelming feeling of terror was gone. Opening his eyes he blinked up at a golden domed ceiling and wondered where he was. A soft, golden haze seemed to hang in the air. He rolled his head on the pillow and suddenly felt a hand on his arm, "Are you back with us for a little bit?" a familiar voice asked.

Wearily he rolled his head back towards the sound of the voice and managed a tired smile at the woman standing next to the table. "I am Caita," she said gently, "you are in the Healing Room."

He nodded weakly to show he understood and she smiled, "Are you thirsty?"

He nodded again, she slid an arm beneath his shoulders and held the straw to his lips, he sucked gratefully, and then released the straw. She gently lowered him onto the pillow and said gently, "Most people sleep through this." She turned to someone else at her elbow and said softly, "Keep him calm and quiet, don't worry too much if he drifts back to sleep, all right?"

She stepped aside and John found himself staring up into a pair of eyes as blue as a Bunsen Burner, she took his hand and spoke, "My name's Anya, Caita told me that your name is John."

He nodded again, feeling her take his hand, "It's all right to close your eyes," Anya said gently, "we'll talk later."

He swallowed, wanting to ask about his friends but could make no sound. Anya gently stroked the hair out of his eyes, "We've contacted your friends, they'll be here as soon as they can."

A half-smile touched his lips and his eyes fluttered closed again. Anya looked across at Caita, "What did they do to him?"

"A stun disruptor of sorts I think," Caita responded, her hands hovering over John's leg, "almost certainly a psi nullifier, I'm tempted to think that they've used barlumin on him, I hope it was only in limited quantities. The other injuries were from him being pushed from a car."

"So when will it wear off?"

"Depends on how much they used, over what period of time and in what quantity," Caita responded, "too much, over a long period of time nullifies any psi abilities. I've also put a block in place to prevent him being able to 'send'."

"How long will he sleep?" Anya enquired, her eyes never leaving John's face.

"A few hours," Caita responded, her eyes never leaving the woman. "We'll leave him here in the Healing Room for a few hours and move him then. Then we can let him sleep and allow his body to heal itself."

_He was locked in a dark maze and every time he turned a corner it was to see another dead end. Frantic now he retraced his steps trying to find the way out. The dwarf box seemed to be growing taller, smothering him. He whimpered, trying to fight his way out but the hedge seemed to be closing in around him until he couldn't move. He was screaming by now, trying to let anyone know where he was..._

Someone was holding him, and he felt a gentle hand on his forehead and heard Caita's voice, "John, John, it's all right. You're safe. You're safe."

Gradually the shudders and whimpers began to lessen until eventually he was sleeping again. Caita removed her hand from his forehead and frowned, "I don't like this, the healing isn't taking. I can hold him at the level he is but I can't repair the damage – I think this needs more ability than I have."

"What if we were to put him into deep anaesthesia?" Anya asked quickly.

Caita frowned, "That may work, but I can't perform that here. I can put him into a deep sleep, but that is all."

"What about Ambassador Timus? He might be able to help."

Caita nodded, "Yes. Let us move John into the Healing Room and then I shall contact him."

TPTPTPTP

Elizabeth looked at TIM's computer and a slight frown puckered her forehead, "TIM have you heard anything from John?"

TIM's voice echoed around the room, "No, Elizabeth, I have not."

Elizabeth put her book down, "I don't know why, but I'm worried, TIM."

"There is little cause for concern at present, Elizabeth, I am sure that John will be in touch soon."

"All right, TIM," Elizabeth smiled, and then stretched. "I think I'll call it a night, if John calls you'll let me know?"

"Of course Elizabeth," TIM replied. "Try not to worry, sleep well."

Elizabeth had been asleep for almost an hour when TIM's voice woke her, "Elizabeth, you must get up. I've had some news about John, he has been very badly injured. Ambassador Timus Irnok Mosta is arriving here within the next hour, he asks that you, Mike and Hsui Tai be dressed and ready to receive him."

"Certainly, TIM," Elizabeth replied, swallowing her fear, "Will you wake the others?"

"Of course," TIM replied, "dress as quickly as you can, Elizabeth, this is urgent."

TPTPTPTPTP

Caita had contacted Ambassador Timus and within five minutes he had jaunted down as they were moving John into the Healing Room. He had examined John and Anya watched as his face became grave. "The Healing Room will keep him at the level he is now; but you are correct, Caita. He needs skilled assistance. Will you both wait here while I contact the Healers on the Galactic Trig?"

Both Caita and Anya nodded, "We await your return Ambassador."

Although Caita had done her best, it is very difficult to put a telepath completely to sleep unless they allow you to do so. So on some strange half-conscious level, John was aware of them wheeling him into the Healing Room. He could hear Timus speaking and tried his hardest to open his eyes. Timus gently laid his hand on his friend's head and John heard his voice in his mind.

_John, it is all right. I know you are afraid, but you have nothing to fear. These people are my friends. We shall get you well together – rest now. Sleep if you can._

John would have nodded if he'd been capable, but reaction from the nightmare was beginning to set in and he was already starting to drift into a half-slumber.

TPTPTPTP

Ambassador Timus strode down the corridors that formed part of the Galactic Trig, his handsome face white and strained. At the end of the corridor a young woman stood in the uniform of a Galactic Federation Officer, her face as white and strained as that of Timus. "Thank you for coming, Officer Conway," Timus bowed, "I realise that this interrupts your busy schedule-" he began but she cut him off.

"I would have come anyway, without John I would never have realised who I truly was – who I could truly become. I could not know about this and not seek to help." She replied and turning to him, Timus could see her eyes shimmering with tears.

"I have also summoned others, they will be arriving in the next few minutes," Timus responded, "come, stand with me."

They waited in what Tricia would always colloquially refer to as the 'Arrivals Hall' and then they began to arrive. First was a young woman with corn-blonde hair and bright blue eyes who looked as though she'd been crying. "Carol," Timus said kindly, holding his hands out to her, "It is good to see you. How are Mikla and the twins?"

"They're fine, Ambassador," Carol managed a wan smile, "I got your message. Can we go and see John now?"

"He's not here yet," Timus said, "I would like to have everyone assembled before I go and fetch John. The others will be arriving soon so if you would come and stand by me."

TPTPTPTP

John half awoke to see Anya sitting next to him. "Hey," she said gently, "feeling any better?"

He half-nodded, his eyelids closing again. He was aware of her hand holding his own and then he felt Caita's hand on his other arm and her hand on his head, "No bad dreams?" she enquired gently.

He had no energy to respond, not even to tell her that he was having no dreams at all. "Rest, John," she said softly, "Ambassador Timus will be here soon."

Quietly Caita laid her hand on Anya's shoulder and held her finger to her lips, motioning for Anya to keep quiet. Anya turned back to the pale young man in the bed and said gently, "I'll be back in a moment." She squeezed John's hand and laid it on the bedclothes.

Caita drew her to one side and murmured softly, "The room is preventing deterioration, but that's all. What worries me is that he isn't dreaming at all, and that's dangerous, especially for a telepath."

TPTPTPTP

It was a sombre threesome that greeted Stephen when he appeared on the pad, and even Stephen himself looked white and strained. He shook hands with all three of them, "Good to see you both again," he said quietly.

"You too, Stephen," Tricia replied, "I just wish that it was under better circumstances."

"Yes," Stephen smiled tautly, "Ambassador, I should like to see John now."

"He is not on the Trig at the moment," Timus explained, "I thought it best to get everyone together when John arrives. I have arranged for the Healers to be on standby and now I am about to go and escort the others to the Trig, I felt it would be easier if it was someone they knew."

"I would like to come with you," Stephen said firmly.

Timus regarded the young man quietly and then nodded, "Very well. Come with me." He turned to the others, "Remain here, I shall not be long."

Nodding to Stephen they stepped up onto the pad and then disappeared.

Mike, Andrew, Hsui-Tai and Elizabeth were standing in front of TIM when Stephen and Timus reappeared. All looked upset and it seemed as though Andrew and Hsui-Tai had been crying. Mike was uncharacteristically quiet and even Elizabeth seemed subdued.

"If you will jaunt up to the Trig," Timus said stepping forward, "Stephen and I will collect John and then we will join you."

Elizabeth nodded and ushered the youngsters onto the jaunting pad, Mike took one last look around and then he joined them. "We will be there soon, Mike," Timus promised.

When they were alone, TIM spoke into the silence, "Will John be all right, Ambassador?"

"I hope so, TIM," Timus replied, "we will see you soon."

Anya and Caita were in the Healing Room when Stephen and Timus arrived. Caita stepped forward, a worried expression on her face, "Ambassador, I'm afraid that we've run out of time – we have to get John up to the Trig now."

"That is why we are here, Officer." Timus responded, "This is Stephen. Stephen, Officer Caita and Sergeant Denisova."

"Anya," Anya responded shaking his hand.

"Ambassador, I'm not sure that we have time," Caita said urgently.

Timus smiled and nodded, "You are quite right, Caita. Come, we must get to the Trig."

Stephen walked across to the bed and stared down at John's supine form. The dark hair looked very black against his pale face. Timus walked across to them and said, "Come, the others are waiting."

The Healers were waiting for them the moment they arrived on the pad and John was carefully lifted onto a waiting gurney and then whisked down the corridors to a Healing Room very similar to Caita's. The others stopped at the door, and Timus turned to them, "You must come in with us, it will be your presence that proves pivotal in John's recovery."

Slowly, they entered leaving Caita and Anya outside, Caita turned to the younger woman, "Right, Sergeant, we'd best get back. The Healers will take it from here." She smiled at the Ambassador, "Thank you, Timus. Without you I don't believe-"

"The Healers request your presence also," Timus said quietly, "Together all of you make up the number of Perfection and that of Fulfillment. They demand your presence."

"But we barely know him!" Caita exclaimed.

"But you sought him out and cared for him."

Shaking her head the two women followed Ambassador Timus. John lay on a medi-table in the centre of the room, the other Tomorrow People around him. One of them, a tall, elegant black woman looked up when Timus ushered them into the room and then made space for them next to the table, the Healers looked up when they took their positions and then one of them took John's head in his hands, while the others ranged themselves beside him, "Think of the love each of you bears him; see him well and strong in each of your minds, call to him. He will hear, he will return." The Humanoid looked up and looked hard into each of the Tomorrow People's eyes and then satisfied turned back to his patient. "Lay your hands on the table so your fingers are touching, and we will begin."

As the Healers began their work, they began to glow and as Anya looked around she saw that the people around the table were also starting to shimmer with a golden light. She looked down at her own hands and saw that they too were covered with this shimmering skin.

She looked up and at the faces of the others, seeing the same realisation and wonderment on the face next to her. A soft, shy smile broke out on her face and was reciprocated on the black woman's. There didn't seem to be anything to say and Anya turned her attention back to the man lying on the bed in front of them.

Time seemed to stand still, to become meaningless and Anya felt as if they had all been standing there forever. The golden glow gradually began to fade and then the Healer at his head gently removed his hands and looked up, "It is done," he said quietly.

"But-but he's still asleep-" Tricia protested.

"Did you expect that he would sit up immediately and speak to you, Officer? Is your medicine capable of this? No, I thought not. He will sleep a full day, perhaps two but when he wakes he will be recovered."

John regained conscious slowly, he could feel the cool softness of sheets below his fingers. Was he out of the Healing Room? It didn't feel like the room he'd half woken up in Caita's house. Slowly he opened his eyes and stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling. A familiar face bent over his and it was with relief he recognised Elizabeth.

"Hey," she said, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze, "feeling better?"

John opened his mouth and managed to croak, "How-" but his mouth was too dry to say anything else.

Elizabeth held a cup of water to his lips and allowed him to take small sips, when he'd had enough she set it back on the bedside table and said, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," John managed a weak smile. "What happened? I thought I went on a walking holiday."

"You had an accident," Elizabeth said gently, "do you remember anything about it?"

"Some creatures grabbed me," John blinked, "I think I was held captive somewhere but I don't remember too much about it."

Elizabeth squeezed his hand again, "That's all right, the Healers said that your memories might be a bit like swiss cheese."

Meanwhile Caita and Anya were sitting in an office on another side of the Galactic Trig, across from them was the man that John and Stephen knew as Steen, he was looking at Caita's report on a padd type device.

"I do not think that you have cause to blame yourselves," he said, looking up, "I know that you feel responsible, but you have no reason to do so. You did not know that John would be walking in that area."

"I still feel guilty," Caita replied. "I should have perhaps anticipated this, it is an area where many walkers come for its caves and scenery."

Steen smiled, "Perhaps. But you did not know that a telepath would be taking a walking holiday in that area."

"Perhaps I should have anticipated it," Caita responded thoughtfully. "What now, Harry?"

"Well now that we have evidence that the Rekki are using barlumin and other outlawed weapons we can send a full psi-shielded team in. I want your reports at the end of an earth solar week. Now you may go and visit the man you saved." Steen stood up and smiled, "Officer Caita, Sergeant Denisova."

"Harry." Both women smiled and then shook hands with him. Then they turned and quietly left the room. To Anya's surprise Officer Conway was sitting outside the office. "Hello, Tricia," Caita said warmly, "Are you here to see Officer Steen?"

"No," the young woman looked uncomfortable. "You."

"Us?" Anya looked perplexed, "why us?"

"Well to be honest I feel a bit awkward about going in to see John alone," Tricia shifted, "I'd rather have just slipped away quietly – after all there's a case I'm working on – but Harry feels that because I was involved in the Healing I should stay."

"It's all right," Caita smiled, "we don't feel particularly happy about this either – after all we simply did what anyone would have done. Come along, we'll go and see how John is and then get going. We do have work to do."

He was sitting up in bed talking to Andrew and Hsui-Tai when Caita knocked softly on the door. "Come in," he called softly.

The door opened and the three women trooped in, Tricia hanging back. Caita smiled, "John isn't it? You're looking better."

John smiled, "Caita, your name's Caita! I remember you, I think. And Anya? Yes I remember you as well. You found me."

"Yes," Caita replied, "but we couldn't leave you."

John took the cup of water from the table in front of him, "Yes, you could. You're telepaths too, aren't you?"

"Working for the Galactic Federation, yes." Caita replied, "you walked straight into a trap I'm afraid." She sighed and sat down on the other side of the bed, "The Rekki had found a source of barlumin and had started a mining operation. They knew that the Galactic Federation would be sending agents to prevent them from doing so. I am afraid that their agents picked up that you were a telepath on their sensors – they assumed that you were a Galactic Agent. I am sorry."

John smiled, "At least you went to look for me, and you helped. You could have left me to die – it would have allayed suspicion."

"No, we couldn't," Caita insisted.

John nodded, and then he spotted Tricia, "Officer Conway, good to see you again."

Patricia stepped forward and John took her hands, "You too, John," she replied. "Timus told me you'd been injured, I had to come. I owe you my sanity."

John looked at Andrew and Hsui-Tai and cleared his throat, "Go on, you two. Let TIM know that I'm all right. Okay?"

Both of the youngsters nodded and when they were alone John looked hard at the three women, "All right, what happened? Andrew and Hsui-Tai look like they've been put through the grinder. Elizabeth seems to have been crying and Stephen and Mike-"

"Look like hell," Anya interjected, "ah damn." She sat down on the bed, "I suppose we ought to explain." She swallowed, and then said, "The Rekki used a combination of things, stun disruptors to start with, they cause pain but cause no physical damage, I suppose they kept asking you questions that you simply couldn't answer-" She swallowed again and Caita took up the story.

"They also used barlumin on you and I should imagine coated the walls of the cell with it. It blocks any psi ability which is extremely damaging in the long run." Caita paused, "Thank goodness for Ambassador Timus. Which reminds me, I owe him lunch. Officer Conway, would you like to join us – I'd love to hear about some of your exploits."

Tricia flushed and then stood up, "I'd like that very much, Caita."

"I'm glad you're all right," Anya said quietly, once they were alone.

John relaxed back into the pillows, "Thank you."

"You'd have done the same," Anya replied. "When do the Healers think you can go home?"

"In a couple of days," John replied, "I'm to rest until then."

"Well that's good to know," Anya replied, "I've a report to write and I should be heading out in a couple of days."

"I'll show you round the Trig if you like," John offered.

"I'd like that very much," Anya said, a sudden blush suffusing her cheeks.


End file.
